Pageants to Honor Asian Heritage

The will host the final events of the 23rd annual Miss Asia USA and seventh annual Mrs. Asia USA pageants Saturday evening.

The two pageants, which showcase beauties of Asian and Middle Eastern descent from across the United States, judges contestants in several categories, including personality interview, evening gowns and national costumes.

The national costume category allows delegates to showcase traditional costumes from their ancestral homes. As part of the competition, each contestant must give a 90-second presentation on the historical background of the outfit.

In her "Queen's Farewell" letter posted on the Virgelia Productions website, Miss Asia USA 2010 winner Ariana Manibog Varela called the event "much more than a pageant."

"It is an eye-opening cultural experience and a tremendous confidence and social skills builder for all the delegates," she wrote.

Competitors in the Miss Asia pageant are over 16 years old, have at least 20 percent Asian ancestry from the 58 member nations and regions of the Asian continent and are unmarried.

Contestants in the Mrs. Asia pageant are more than 24 years old and married, divorced or separated. Like the Miss Asia competitors, they must have at least 20 percent Asian ancestry.

Miss Asia USA Delegates

• Angelica Kim, Korea
• Shannon Fan, Taiwan
• Joanna Chao, Myanmar
• Sahar Namjoo, Iran
• Tania Mehra, India
• Jacqueline Kim, Korea
• Jennie Jaturapatporn, Thailand
• Camilla Lim, Korea
• Rowena Kumaratunga, Sri Lanka
• Nilufar Sherzod, Tajikistan
• Phan Thi Mo', Vietnam
• Meeghan Henry, Indonesia
• Valerie Pham, Vietnam
• Zhazira Nurkhodjaeva, Kazakhstan
• Shantelle Gomez, Philippines
• Sophia Berk, Taiwan
• Delgerjargal Purev, Mongolia
• Gulzat Kurmankozhoeva, Kyrgyzstan
• Patricia C. Abad Santos, Philippines
• Alpha Takahashi, Japan
• Amina Odgerel, Mongolia
• Sofia Klof, Malaysia
• Tanya Singh, India
• Yuka Sano, Japan

Mrs. Asia USA Delegates

• Krystine Dam Sinaga, Indonesia
• Guinara Akunova, Kyrgyzstan
• Lou Baron, Philippines
• Nurgul Djantelieva, Kyrgyzstan
• Morina Dassanyake, Sri Lanka
• Payal Wadhawan, India
• Nazira Ogonbaeva, Kyrgyzstan
• Aruni Ganewatte, Sri Lanka
• Leone Izumi, China
• Saltanat Kozhomberdieva, Kyrgyzstan

The Miss Asia USA and Mrs. Asia USA pageants will be at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, located at 1513 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Tickets may be available at the door. For more information, call Virgelia Productions Inc. at 818-641-7779 or 818-891-5556.